The Impact of Family Financial Investment on Perceived Parent Pressure and Child Enjoyment and Commitment in Organized Youth Sport

• Author: Kevin J. Rothlisberger,Michael Q. King,Travis E. Dorsch,C. Ryan Dunn
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12193
• Published date: 01 April 2016
• Date: 01 April 2016

C. R D, T E. D, M Q. K,  K J. R

Utah State University

The Impact of Family Financial Investment on

Perceived Parent Pressure and Child Enjoyment and

Commitment in Organized Youth Sport

Ninety percent of American youth participate

in some form of organized youth sport between

the ages of 5 and 18. Parent involvement in

this context has recently been characterized as

a potentially harmful force in parent–child rela-

tions, leading to debate regarding the appro-

priateness and level of parent involvement in

organized youth sport. Despite the rising costs

associated with youth sport participation, little

empirical effort has been made to examine the

potential impact of family nancial investment

on parent involvementand children’s subsequent

sport outcomes. The purpose of this study was to

address how family nancial investment in youth

sport inuences children’s perceptions of par-

ent pressure, sport enjoyment, and commitment

to continued participation. Data from a national

sample of 163 parent–child dyads illuminated

an inverse association between family nancial

investment and child sport commitment, medi-

ated by children’s perceptions of parent pres-

sure and sport enjoyment. The results indicated

that family nancial investment predicts child

commitment through the sequential mediators

of perceived parent pressure and child enjoy-

ment. These ndings draw attention to many

Department of Family,Consumer, and Human Development,

2905 Old Main Hill, Utah State University,Logan, UT 84322

(travis.dorsch@usu.edu).

Key Words: nancial investment, parenting, pressure, sport

commitment, sport enjoyment.

avenues for future research on the potential

link among family investment decisions, parent

involvement behaviors, and child outcomes in

organized youth sport, which may collectively

inform the development of parent interventions

for youth sport leagues, administrators, and

parents.

Ninety percent of American children participate

in some form of organized sport between the

ages of 5 and 17 (Bremer, 2012; Jellineck &

Durant, 2004), and more than 44 million Amer-

ican children participate in organized sport

each year (“Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance,”

2010). A breadth of research has therefore been

designed to illuminate the positive outcomes of

youth sport participation for children. In addi-

tion to the widely cited physical benets (e.g.,

Barber, Eccles, & Stone, 2001; Frasier-Thomas,

Côté, & Deakin, 2005; Melnick, Miller, Sabo,

Farrell, & Barnes, 2001), participation has been

positively correlated with adaptive psychosocial

outcomes such as improved initiative and lead-

ership, higher grades, and enhanced goal-setting

skills (Eccles, Barber, Stone, & Hunt, 2003;

Gould & Carson, 2008; Marsh & Kleitman,

2003). Despite these adaptive outcomes, there

have also been costs (e.g., perceptions of low

ability, injury, burnout, and associated fees

and expenses) associated with participation in

organized youth sport (Baxter-Jones & Maffulli,

2003; Brustad, Babkes, & Smith, 2001; Knight

Family Relations 65 (April 2016): 287–299 287

DOI:10.1111/fare.12193